Treasury

Taxation

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to ensure fairness in the operation of the tax system.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to ensure fairness in the operation of the tax system.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to ensure fairness in the operation of the tax system.

Victoria Atkins: It is right that everyone contributes to sustainable public finances and the government is ensuring those with the broadest shoulders pay their fair share. Spring Budget took steps to tackle non-compliance and improve HMRC’s ability to collect tax debts. Because of our commitment over 13 years to help the lowest earners, people can now earn over £1000 a month free from income tax or National Insurance.

Debt Collection

Richard Thomson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of debt collections undertaken on behalf of Government Departments since 2018.

Victoria Atkins: Overdue debt owed to government rose sharply during the pandemic, reaching £64.5bn in March 2021. It has since fallen to £49.5 billion in March 2022 Broadening governments work with the private sector is essential if we are to support, complement, and extend public sector debt management capabilities, ensuring vital public funds continue to be recovered in a way that’s fair and sustainable.

Inflation

Tom Randall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made on reducing inflation.

Andrew Griffith: High inflation is the greatest immediate economic challenge that we must address. That is why the Government has made it a priority to halve inflation this year, on the path back to the 2% target. Our commitment to this target is iron-clad and applies at all times. The Bank of England has the Government’s full support as they take action to return inflation to target. Inflation has already fallen by more than a third from the peak in October. We are on track to halve inflation this year: the majority of major forecasters agree in forecasting inflation to halve by the end of the year and subsequently return to target. However, this is not inevitable, and we must remain vigilant.

Aviation: Taxation

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a frequent flyer levy.

Gareth Davies: The Government keeps all taxes under review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor at fiscal events.

Treasury: Remote Working

Julian Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what their Departments policy is on Civil Servants in their Department working from home and receiving the London Weighting Allowance.

Gareth Davies: HMT allows for a working arrangement where staff have some flexibility to split their working time between the office (in London, Darlington, or Norwich) and home working. HMT does not provide a London weighting allowance for delegated grades but applies a London and national pay scale.

Hospitality Industry and Tourism: Recruitment

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps his Department has taken to help support recruitment in the hospitality and tourism industry.

John Glen: Hospitality and leisure businesses will be supported by our Spring Budget employment package which aims to provide the workforce they need to thrive. In addition, these sectors will benefit from business rates support worth £13.6bn over the next five years which includes a more generous of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief scheme which is increasing from 50% to 75% in 2023-24. We have also increased the Draught Relief duty differential.The government has also contributed to various successful campaigns to stimulate the tourism sector’s recovery, including VisitBritain’s latest multi-million pound international GREAT campaign "See things Differently" which ran from February until June 2023, positioning Britain as a dynamic, diverse and welcoming destination.

Public Expenditure: Cost Effectiveness

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure value for money in public spending.

John Glen: Value for money is at the heart of government spending. It is one of the key considerations for any decision involving the use of public funds across government. Since the Spending Review, the government has taken several steps to ensure it continues to deliver the greatest value from every pound of taxpayer’s money it spends. Departments have reprioritised and identified further efficiencies to help manage the impacts of inflation, protect vital frontline services and give our key public sector workers the pay rise they deserve. This is only the start, the Chancellor has asked me to lead an ambitious Public Sector Productivity Programme targeted at increasing public sector productivity growth, both in the short- and long-term.

Public Sector Debt

Andrew Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made on reducing the level of national debt.

John Glen: Reducing the national debt is one the Prime Minister’s five priorities and will provide the foundations for sustainable growth. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility confirmed in March that the government is on track to deliver this, meeting our fiscal rules with underlying debt falling as a percentage of GDP in 2027-28. We have shown we will take the difficult but necessary decisions to ensure that debt is falling.

Business: Energy

John Stevenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to support businesses with energy prices.

Gareth Davies: The Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) will provide all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users with a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024. It will also provide businesses in sectors with particularly high levels of energy use and trade intensity with a higher level of support. This follows the unprecedented package of support for non-domestic users last winter provided through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

Financial Services

Bob Blackman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support the growth of the financial services sector.

Andrew Griffith: In July, the Chancellor set out his ambitious Mansion House Reforms package, which will help to support the growth of the financial services sector by:o reforming the pensions market to boost returns and improve outcomes for pension fund holders whilst increasing funding liquidity for high-growth companies;o helping companies grow and list in the UK; ando enabling us to seize the opportunities of the future by reforming and simplifying our regulatory rulebook.

Banks: Profits

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of interest rates on profits in the banking sector.

Andrew Griffith: UK banks’ profitability has increased as a result of higher interest rates.That said, increased competition in deposit rates offered by UK banks and macroeconomic uncertainty are likely to put downward pressure on banks’ profits.The 2022/2023 Bank of England’s stress test indicates that major UK banks would be resilient to a severe stress scenario including higher interest rates.

Department of Health and Social Care

Key Workers: Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of schemes aimed to provide affordable rented housing to NHS key workers

Will Quince: We recognise the importance of ensuring that high-quality, affordable accommodation is available to National Health Service staff. We are working closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to explore how we can best support NHS trusts to deliver key worker accommodation where it is needed. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Lord Markham) will lead a joint taskforce with the housing minister, the Hon. Rachel Maclean, to work through the barriers identified in a recently published paper on key worker accommodation by the NHS Homes Alliance and support the NHS to streamline delivery.Local organisations are ultimately responsible for determining the appropriate use of NHS estate, including for key worker accommodation. NHS staff also have access to the national First Homes scheme, established in 2021, which enables key workers to purchase homes at a discount to the market value on new housing sites, paid for by developer contributions.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Health Services

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to release a delivery plan for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; and if he will make a statement.

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the action for me report entitled Implementation of the NICE Guideline [NG206] on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in England, published May 2023, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that report's findings.

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the implementation of NICE Guidelines on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of specialist services for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Will Quince: ‘My Full Reality’, the cross-government Interim Delivery Plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) was published on 9 August 2023. The Plan aims to improve experiences and outcomes for people with ME/CFS by setting out agreed actions to drive an expansion of research, better education of professionals, improvements in attitudes towards the condition, and improvements to service provision. Alongside the Plan we have published an eight-week consultation to build a picture of how well the Plan meets the needs of the ME/CFS community, and to highlight any significant gaps where further action may be necessary. The Plan and consultation are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-the-experiences-of-people-with-mecfs-interim-delivery-plan/my-full-reality-the-interim-delivery-plan-on-mecfsWe have made no assessment of the implications of the report published by Action for ME, ‘Implementation of the NICE Guideline [NG206] on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in England’, the adequacy of implementation of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on ME/CFS, or on the provision of specialist services for people with ME/CFS.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services for people with ME/CFS to meet local needs. In making commissioning decisions, we would expect ICBs to consider guidelines published by NICE.

Gynaecology: Waiting Lists

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce gynaecology waiting lists in hospitals.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery Plan for Tackling the COVID-19 Backlog of Elective Care’ outlines how the National Health Service will bring down waiting times across all elective services. The plan does not detail approaches for each specialty but commits to eradicate all waits of longer than a year for elective care by March 2025, except for in the case of patient choice. To support this plan and tackle waiting lists, including those in gynaecology, the Government has committed more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to drive up and protect elective activity. We are also increasing capacity, including for gynaecological surgery, through our surgical hubs, delivered by the Getting It Right First Time ‘High Volume Low Complexity’ programme.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to abolish charges for prescriptions in England; and if he will make a statement.

Will Quince: The Government has no plans to abolish prescription charges in England.Approximately 89% of National Health Service prescription items are dispensed free of charge due to the comprehensive prescription exemption arrangements we already have in place, including exemptions for those on qualifying benefits.Prescription pre-payment certificates (PPCs) are available to reduce costs for those who need regular or many prescriptions. The cost of a 12-month PPC remains at £111.60 which can be paid in instalments, to allow people receive their required medicines for just over £2 a week. A three-month PPC and a PPC for hormone replacement therapy medicines are also available. People on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption may be eligible for help with prescription charges through the NHS Low Income Scheme.

Draft Mental Health Bill

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill.

Maria Caulfield: The Department has considered the Committee’s recommendations carefully and we will publish our response shortly.

General Practitioners

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of GP appointments were carried out face-to-face in 2023.

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the number of face-to-face GP has returned to pre-covid-19 levels.

Neil O'Brien: From January to July 2023 69.5% of general practice appointments were face-to-face. For the same period in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 79.3% of general practice appointments were face-to-face. The proportion of face-to-face appointments was lowest in April 2020, at 46.7%.A combination of face-to-face and remote appointments provides a choice of access routes for patients and additional flexibility and convenience. We expect patients to experience the same high quality of care regardless of how they access their general practice, and patients unable to access remote appointments should be offered an alternative appointment type.

Ophthalmic Services

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2023 to Question 188964, what his timeframe is for the piece of work with the profession and NHS England; whether the work includes (a) aims and (b) targets for increasing the availability of minor eye care services.

Neil O'Brien: We are currently at the scoping stage of the development of standard service specifications for enhanced services and have not yet set out a firm timetable for their completion. The aim of this work is to collate best practice to support commissioning by integrated care boards (ICBs), should they identify a need for such services in their areas and wish to commission them from primary eyecare providers.ICBs remain responsible for eyecare service design and commissioning in their area.

General Practitioners: Vacancies

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is doing to tackle shortages of GPs.

Neil O'Brien: We remain committed to growing the general practitioner (GP) workforce and number of doctors in general practice, and the Government is determined to deliver this as soon as possible. There were over 2,000 more full time equivalent doctors working in general practice in June 2023 compared to June 2019.We are working with NHS England to increase the GP workforce in England. This includes measures to boost recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession, and encourage them to return to practice.NHS England has made retention schemes available to boost the GP workforce. To boost recruitment, we have increased the number of GP training places. Last year, we saw the highest ever number of doctors accepting a place on GP training - 4,032 trainees in 2022, compared to 2,671 in 2014.

Obesity

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential role hydration may play in tackling obesity.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to promote the potential role hydration may play in tackling obesity.

Neil O'Brien: There has been no specific assessment. Government advice on a healthy, balanced diet is encapsulated in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. This recommends that people should aim to drink six to eight cups or glasses of fluid a day.

Disease Control

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, at which meetings the Government was represented at the Sixth Meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body for a WHO Instrument on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response which took place between 17 and 21 July 2023.

Will Quince: The Government was represented by officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for the entirety of the Sixth Meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body between 17 and 21 July 2023.

World Health Organization

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in which meetings the Government will be represented at the fourth meeting of the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations 2005.

Will Quince: The Government was represented by officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for the entirety of the fourth meeting of the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) that took place between 24 and 28 July 2023.

World Health Organization

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government be represented at Joint Plenary Meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body and the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations in July 2023.

Will Quince: The Government was represented by officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office at the Joint Plenary Meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating body and the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations on 21 and 24 July 2023.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Independent Faith Engagement Review

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2023 to Question 187240 on Independent Faith Engagement Review, if he will breakdown that expenditure by (a) expenses and (b) other costs.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2023 to Question 192907 on Independent Faith Engagement Review, if he will publish the (a) questionnaires and (b) interview scripts used as part of evidence gathering process.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2023 to Question 192908 on Independent Faith Engagement Review, which organisations (a) responded to the call for evidence and (b) were contacted directly by the Independent Faith Engagement Adviser.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2023 to Question 192913 on Religion, with which faith-based organisations the Government has a policy of not engaging; and whether this was communicated to the Independent Faith Engagement Adviser as part of his work on the review.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2023 to Question 192910 on Independent Faith Engagement Review, what oversight there is of the spending of the independent faith adviser.

Dehenna Davison: The independent faith advisor's contract and payment terms were approved in the usual way.The call for evidence questionnaire has been published on gov.uk page. The questions asked during interviews were not scripted.In relation to the call for evidence, a broad range of individuals and organisations submitted responses.As an Independent reviewer, Colin Bloom met with a with a wide range of stakeholders - including charities, organisations, academics and other sectoral experts and key individuals of all faiths and none - whom he deemed to have relevant insight into particular themes relevant to his report. Given the sensitive issues covered in his review, Colin Bloom was committed to preserving respondents' anonymity so they could speak freely. While these anonymised sources and external analysis have informed the review, the views and recommendations expressed are those of Mr Bloom.As an Independent reviewer, Colin Bloom was free to meet with any individuals or organisations he chose to inform his review, with due consideration to existing official and Ministerial level engagement and communications.In line with previous practice, a further breakdown of costings not be published.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Procurement

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress their Department have made on implementing Procurement Policy Note 06/21.

Dehenna Davison: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has implemented the requirements of PPN 06/21: Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government contracts, where it is relevant to the subject matter of the contract and proportionate to do so.

Home Office

Offensive Weapons: Sales

Pat McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department's proposals to ban the online sale of machetes and other bladed weapons published on 30 August 2023 includes banning the online sale of swords.

Chris Philp: Between 18 April 2023 and 6 June 2023, the Government ran a consultation on five proposals to tackle knife crime, including a targeted ban on certain types of machetes and knives which appear to be designed to look intimidating, but which have no practical purpose. The consultation followed engagement with the police who had raised concerns about the use of fantasy and zombie type machetes and knives in crime.On 30 August the Home Office published the government response to the consultation:www.gov.uk/government/consultations/machetes-and-other-bladed-articles-proposed-legislationAs set out in the consultation response, the government is currently considering the precise description of the items we wish to ban following feedback from respondents to the consultation. This includes considering the following features:- Cutting edges – plain and serrated- Sharp pointed end- Length of the blade- Holes in the blade- Other features - spikes, protuberances, hooksThese features are being considered to differentiate the types of machetes and knives which appear to have been designed to look intimidating and have no practical purpose, from the types of machetes and knives which are used for agriculture, gardening and a range of other jobs and pastimes.We have focused on the features commonly found in the knives and machetes that the police have brought to our attention as increasingly being used for serious crime and serious violence.As set out in the consultation response, during our conversations with the police swords were not raised as a specific concern and in discussion with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), we agreed to focus on zombie style machetes and knives in this consultation. However, we will keep this under review, should any operational need arise to extend the ban to swords and other bladed articles or offensive weapons.More widely, it is already an offence to have an article with a blade or point in a public place without good reason and this includes swords. Upon conviction for this offence a person can be liable for up to four years imprisonment.It is also an offence to sell any sword or machete to anyone under 18 and one of our proposals is to increase the maximum sentence for this offence to two years imprisonment.

Home Office: Harassment

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle incidences of intimidation or harassment in her Department; and whether her Department has a code of conduct on these issues.

Chris Philp: All officials are required to abide by the civil service code, the Home Office values and departmental bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation policy.The Home Department is sharing its approach and effective practice with the Government People Group in developing a consistent cross government approach to these issues.

Home Office: Remote Working

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what their Departments policy is on Civil Servants in their Department working from home and receiving the London Weighting Allowance.

Chris Philp: The Home Office no longer pays a London Weighting Allowance to employees. Those employees whose contractual work location is within London are on a higher pay range than those working outside of London.Pay arrangements, including those for London, are delegated to each department. Flexible working is also a fundamental element of the Civil Service employment offer which is consistent with other sectors.Flexible working arrangements enable departments to make efficient use of resources, and the offer also ensures the Civil Service can attract and retain a diversity of talent.As part of this approach departments have developed hybrid working arrangements which typically require Civil Servants to spend 2-3 days in the office each week, and the option of 2-3 days working from home. The majority of Civil Servants will be working on a hybrid basis, or be entirely based in the workplace.

Animal Experiments

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to accept the recommendation on the use of forced swim tests in studies on anxiety and depression in the report by the Animals in Science Committee entitled Advice on the use of the forced swim test, published on 5 July 2023.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office welcomes the Animals in Science Committee’s advice on the use of the forced swim test. The report and its recommendations are being carefully considered, and the Home Office will respond in due course.

Home Office: Procurement

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress their Department have made on implementing Procurement Policy Note 06/21.

Chris Philp: The Home Office has implemented the requirements of PPN 06/21: Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government contracts, where it is relevant to the subject matter of the contract and proportionate to do so.Home Office has applied the PPN to procurements in scope since the PPN came into effect on 30th September 2021.

Asylum: Children

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum seeking children who went missing from hotel accommodation remain unaccounted for.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to publish weekly data on the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children who are missing from hotel accommodation and unaccounted for.

Robert Jenrick: The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.Published data can be found online at: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasetsUnaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) hotels are temporary accommodation that provide safeguarding for a child until they are ready to be transferred through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) from an entry local authority to another local authority in the UK for ongoing care and support.There are no UASC hotels in Scotland.We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.

Arrest Warrants: Hong Kong

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had recent discussions with Hong Kong pro-democracy activists resident in the UK who have been issued with arrest warrants by the Hong Kong National Security Police.

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to support Hong Kong pro-democracy activists in the UK who have been issued arrest warrants and had bounties placed on them by the National Security Police of Hong Kong.

Tom Tugendhat: The Government continually assesses potential threats in the UK, and takes protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously.DLUHC, Home Office and FCDO regularly engage with and attends events held by a wide range of British Nationals Overseas (BN(O)) community groups.While it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security and intelligence matters, where we identify individuals at heightened risk, we are front footed in deploying protective security guidance and other measures as appropriate.We will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas. The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted.We strongly object to the National Security Law that China has imposed on Hong Kong, including its extraterritorial reach, in breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration. We call on Beijing to remove the National Security Law and for the Hong Kong authorities to end their targeting of those who stand up for freedom and democracy.The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK’s approach to transnational repression to ensure we have a robust and joined up response across government and law enforcement.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water Abstraction: Licensing

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the Environment Agency to carry out an assessment of the potential impact on food production whenever there are changes to abstraction licences in the (a) agriculture and (b) horticulture sector.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency already has a duty to consider the costs and benefits of its actions. The Environment Agency applies this duty in abstraction licence and regulatory decisions. There is recognition of the impact a change in abstraction licence conditions can have on the agriculture and horticulture sectors. Where restrictions and licence changes are absolutely necessary the Environment Agency looks to work directly with licence holders to implement changes on a voluntary basis first. When managing droughts, the Environment Agency also looks to introduce partial restrictions (e.g. abstraction every other day, or night time only) and then total bans on water abstraction as a last resort. During the drought of 2022, the Environment Agency avoided the need for total irrigation bans by using this approach. However, the cost-benefit duty does not override the need for the Environment Agency to undertake its wider duties and functions to meet statutory environmental objectives.

Housing: Construction

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure water resilience is considered when building new housing.

Rebecca Pow: Water companies are statutory consultees on local authority local plans. We have set out in our guidance for water resource management plans and our drainage and wastewater management plans that we expect early discussions between local authorities and water companies to help ensure that proposed growth and environmental objectives are reflected in the company plans and can be delivered.  It is a duty on water companies to maintain, improve and extend their water supply networks to take account of future water needs, such as those for new homes. Defra continues to work with the Department for Levelling Up Communities and Housing to ensure water supply remains resilient where new housing is being planned, including a new Water Scarcity Working Group with regulators and the recent announcement of £3 million of funding for offsetting of water demand in Cambridge.

Department for Transport

Offshore Industry: Helicopters

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the annual helicopter flying hours were in the offshore oil and gas sector in each year from 2018 to 2022.

Jesse Norman: Neither the Department for Transport (DfT) nor the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) hold this information. As North Sea helicopter movements are non-scheduled, operators do not provide flight data to the CAA. Only the operators themselves will hold this data.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Pay Settlements

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of the 2024 Armed Forces Pay Review Body settlement for this financial year.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The 2024 Armed Forces Pay Review Body settlement for this financial year provides an effective pay increase of between 9.7% for the most junior ranks and 5.8% for officers at one-star rank. This equates to an average pay increase of around 7.5% across military personnel. We have ensured this is affordable through reprioritising spending within the existing Defence budget.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy applications his Department (a) received and (b) processed in (i) June and (ii) July 2023.

James Heappey: In June 2023, 1,092 applications were received, and an estimated 23,586 applications were processed.In July 2023, 1,298 applications were received, and an estimated 36,237 applications were processed.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July 2023 to Question 194186, how many and what proportion of the applications which have been received but not granted ARAP eligibility are (a) awaiting consideration and (b) have been declined.

James Heappey: As of 29 August 2023, we have received over 144,000 applications since the launch of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme on 1 April 2021. To note, this figure includes duplicate applications. Of the number of unique applicants:3,038 individuals are awaiting an eligibility decision; and75,256 individuals did not meet the ARAP eligibility criteria.

Veterans: Radiation Exposure

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether files have been removed from his Department's health records of nuclear test veterans.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Any medical records taken either before, during or after participation at the UK nuclear weapon tests would be held in individual military medical records in the Government's archives. Veterans UK also hold War Disablement Pension files which are created when an individual is either medically discharged or submits a claim for a War Pension. These can contain discharge information, medical reports, service record documentation and various administrative papers. Case papers, such as additional medical reports and claims, are then added to the file when received. Where these files indicate service in a nuclear test area, they have been set aside from the other war pension files to aid location in the event of a compensation claim. The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any files being removed from these records.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to freeze recruitment of civilian personnel (a) partially and (b) wholly.

Dr Andrew Murrison: General recruitment into Defence’s civilian workforce was paused from 10 July until 4 August 2023, although recruitment into the Defence Nuclear Organisation and other ringfenced nuclear roles continued.  From 4 August, essential recruitment was permitted to resume on a case-by-case basis. Recruitment controls are planned to remain in place for 18-months until March 2025. The overall expectation remains that MOD’s civilian workforce will decline by c. 3,000 posts.

Veterans: LGBT+ People

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to provide compensation to all those who were affected by the ban on LGBT people in the armed forces.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence and the Office for Veterans' Affairs jointly commissioned the LGBT veterans independent review to better understand the impacts and implications of the pre-2000 policy relating to homosexual people serving in HM Armed Forces. The review underlines Defence's unwavering commitment to understanding how best to support its veteran and LGBT community.The review was published on 19 July 2023 and among its recommendations is one which suggests a financial award. Defence has accepted the recommendation, noting that such schemes take time to establish. Further detail on eligibility will be included in the implementation plan, which will be published in due course.

Challenger Tanks

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Defence’s response to a more contested and volatile world, published on 18 July 2023, CP 901, how many Challenger tanks his Department plans to upgrade to Challenger 3 following DCP23; and when he plans that the full fleet will be in service.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 July 2023 to Question 194580 to my hon. Friend the Member for Mr Ipswich (Tom Hunt).Challenger Tanks (docx, 18.0KB)

Ministry of Defence: Remote Working

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what their Departments policy is on Civil Servants in their Department working from home and receiving the London Weighting Allowance.

Dr Andrew Murrison: London weighting is paid to staff who have a Permanent Duty Station (PDS) in London. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) operates two London Weighting allowances, for Inner and Outer London. Staff who are contractual home workers do not have a London PDS and are therefore ineligible for London Weighting.Flexible working arrangements enable Departments to make efficient use of resources, and the offer also ensures the Civil Service can attract and retain a diversity of talent. “Future Workplace” is the MOD’s interpretation of the wider Government Smarter Working programme. As part of this approach MOD has developed hybrid working arrangements which typically require Civil Servants to spend 2-3 days in the office each week, and the option of 2-3 days working from home. This will be dependent upon the activity and outcomes to be delivered. All employees agree their working location with their local line management. Details of Departmental headquarters’ occupancy are published on a regular basis and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-headquarters-occupancy-data

Nuclear Weapons

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Defence’s response to a more contested and volatile world, published on 18 July 2023, CP 901, when he plans to publish the Defence Nuclear Strategy.

James Cartlidge: The Ministry of Defence will publish the Defence Nuclear Strategy by the end of 2023.

Type 32 Frigates: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has allocated to the Type 32 frigate programme.

James Cartlidge: Further to the right hon. Member's Question 188467, I refer him to the answer my predecessor (Alex Chalk) gave on 3 March 2023 to question 155050 to the right hon. Member for North Durham (Kevan Jones).Type 32 Frigates Procurement (docx, 24.1KB)

Defence: Research

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much investment his Department has allocated to R and D programmes in (a) AI, (b) engineering biology, (c) semiconductors and (d) quantum for the Spending Review period.

James Cartlidge: Defence will invest over £6.6 billion in Research and Development over this Spending Review period, which will include investment in AI, engineering biology, semiconductor and quantum technologies.

Defence: Technology

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on (a) AI, (b) engineering biology, (c) semiconductors and (d) quantum technologies since 2010.

James Cartlidge: It is not possible to provide specific details on how much has been spent for each of these technologies since 2010 owing to the nature of the programmes, and the Department's federated approach to capability development. However, for this Spending Review period, the Government has committed to invest over £6.6 billion in Research & Development for Defence, which will include funding across AI, engineering biology, semiconductors and quantum technologies.

Veterans: Identity Cards

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans ID cards his Department expects to deliver to veterans in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the roll out of veterans ID cards to all UK veterans to be completed.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Post-December 2018, Service leavers automatically receive a Veterans Card as part of their discharge process. As of June 2023, there have been almost 70,000 HM Armed Forces Veterans' Cards issued as part of phase one. Phase two refers to the launch of the service for pre-2018 veterans to verify their status and receive a card. The Government remains committed to delivery and will be engaging with veterans over the summer to participate in testing the service, with the phased rollout of cards beginning by the end of the year. The number of cards issued and the duration of each phase in the rollout will depend on demand. Once launched, the service will remain live for all veterans who want a card to apply at any time in the future, and cards will continue to be issued automatically to Service leavers.

Veterans: Radiation Exposure

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to publish the eligibility criteria and details of the application process for the Nuclear Test Medal.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The eligibility criteria and details of how to apply for the Nuclear Test Medal were published by the Ministry of Defence on 30 March 2023: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-test-medal-eligibility-criteria

Armed Forces: Pay Settlements

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what reductions have been made in previously-planned spending for 2023/24 to pay for the additional cost of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body pay settlement in (a) planned spending on civilian personnel, (b) other elements of the planned RDEL budget and (c) the planned CDEL budget.

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ensure that the pay award remains affordable and that we continue to recognise our people as our most important asset, the Department has introduced civilian recruitment controls to find savings through natural voluntary outflow, as well as further reprioritising funding within the existing Defence budget through the usual budget management process.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Alternative Fuel Payments

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will reopen the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding scheme to enable households that were eligible for that scheme and did not apply to access that support; and if he will make an estimate of the number of households that have not yet received that support.

Amanda Solloway: The Government currently does not have any plans to reopen the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. The Government estimated that there were around 900,000 households eligible for the scheme, and the current application figures can be found on GOV.UK - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers. I recommend that any household who was not able to access the EBSS AF visits the ‘Help for Households’ webpage on GOV.UK to view what other support they may be able to receive - https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.

Natural Gas: Hydrogen

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2023 to Question 139259 on Natural Gas: Hydrogen, when he plans to make a decision on allowing hydrogen blending.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of blending hydrogen with natural gas at (a) 20%, (b) 40%, (c) 50% and (d) 90%.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of allowing hydrogen blending in pipes on the UK’s ability to achieve net zero targets.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to approve hydrogen blending in gas pipes.

Graham Stuart: The Government aims to reach a policy decision in 2023 on whether to allow blending of up to 20% hydrogen by volume into the gas distribution networks. The Government is assessing whether there is value in having blending available to support the development of the hydrogen economy and achieve wider net zero objectives. The Government is reviewing evidence to determine if blending represents strategic and economic value and meets the required safety standards. Blending of 20% hydrogen by volume is regarded by industry as the limit which, if exceeded, may start to impact domestic and non-domestic appliances negatively.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to Answer of 20 July 2023 to Question 194577, whether he will take steps to require energy providers not to put households which have been unable to transfer from a Radio Teleswitching System to a Smart Meter on higher tariffs.

Amanda Solloway: Discussions are underway with industry and the relevant Radio Teleswitching System (RTS) service providers to secure the ongoing operation of RTS into 2025. Nonetheless, the Government expects energy suppliers to upgrade households with RTS to smart meters as soon as possible, so they can access smart meter benefits in good time, including a broader range of competitive multi rate tariffs. Households should contact their energy supplier to arrange their smart meter installation and discuss individual tariff arrangements, as suppliers are best placed to advise based on knowledge of individual circumstances.

Department for Work and Pensions

Offshore Fixed Structures: Health and Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) improvement and (b) prohibition notices were issued by Health and Safety Executive inspectors to operators of offshore oil and gas installations in each year since 2016-17; and how many of those notices were related to safety maintenance issues.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued the following enforcement notices since 2016 – 17: 2016: 34 Improvement Notices of which 18 related to safety maintenance and 2 Prohibition Notices of which 1 related to safety maintenance 2017: 41 Improvement Notices of which 20 related to safety maintenance and 6 Prohibition Notices of which 4 related to safety maintenance 2018: 28 Improvement Notices of which 7 related to safety maintenance and 1Prohibition Notices of which 0 related to safety maintenance 2019: 22 Improvement Notices of which 6 related to safety maintenance and 4 Prohibition Notices of which 1 related to safety maintenance 2020: 21 Improvement Notices of which 12 related to safety maintenance and 2 Prohibition Notices of which 0 related to safety maintenance 2021: 22 Improvement Notices of which 8 related to safety maintenance and 2 Prohibition Notices of which 0 related to safety maintenance 2022: 30 Improvement Notices of which 6 related to safety maintenance and 0 Prohibition Notices 2023: 13 Improvement Notices of which 2 related to safety maintenance and 0 Prohibition Notices

Department for Education

Department for Education: Procurement

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department have made on implementing Procurement Policy Note 06/21.

Nick Gibb: The Department has implemented and embedded the policy requirements within Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21, taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major Government contracts within its commercial activity. The Department has applied the provisions of this PPN to relevant procurements advertised on or after 30 September 2021. Awareness sessions were delivered to commercial staff prior to the policy going live, and annually thereafter. Tender documents contain the required supplier appraisal questions and commercial guidance is available to support this process. Quarterly compliance monitoring is undertaken, and action is taken to ensure all in scope procurements are compliant with this policy.

Academic Year: Holidays

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with the travel industry on trends in the cost of family holidays during school holidays.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education has not had recent discussions with the travel industry on trends in the cost of family holidays during school holidays. However, information and research on the cost of holidays is widely available online.

Department for Education: Remote Working

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Civil Servants in their Department who are working from home are receiving the London Weighting Allowance.

Nick Gibb: Flexible working arrangements enable Departments to make efficient use of resources and ensures that the Civil Service can attract and retain a diversity of talent. Pay arrangements, including those for London, are delegated to each Civil Service Department. In the Department for Education there is no London Weighting Allowance. Instead, all staff are placed on either a National or London pay band, based on their contractual work location.

Maintained Schools: Energy

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate her Department has made of the cost of retro-fitting the maintained school estate to improve energy efficiency.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the percentage of maintained schools in England that will be retro-fitted with carbon neutral schemes by 2050.

Nick Gibb: The Department has not made an estimate of the percentage of maintained schools that will be retrofitted with carbon neutral schemes by 2050. The Department’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy includes four strategic aims, one of which is ‘Net zero: reducing direct and indirect emissions from education and care buildings, driving innovation to meet legislative targets and providing opportunities for children and young people to engage practically in the transition to net zero'. The strategy sets out the Department’s approach to retrofit as innovate, test, and invest. By piloting retrofit, the Department can determine the best technology and the best value for money approach. The Department wants to ensure the right technology is used before rolling out at scale. The Schools Commercial Decarbonisation Project aims to pilot and test initiatives that will support schools to improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, helping them to achieve net zero. The Department is also currently testing low cost, high impact interventions under the Resilient School Programme. The data and evidence gathered through this work will shape future delivery. This includes the replacement of high carbon intensity heat sources through piloting energy pods, testing the feasibility of replacing school boilers with ground source or air source heat pumps, air quality monitoring and learning from the GenZero research and biophilic prototype school.

Department for Education: Social Media

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers have access to each of her social media accounts; what the job titles are of each of the people who have access; whether each of these people has undertaken cybersecurity training; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: There are two civil servants below the Senior Civil Servant grade and two special advisers who have access to the Education Secretary’s social media accounts. All staff, including those working within Private Office, receive security induction when joining the Department and are additionally required to undertake mandated Department and Civil Service security briefings annually. This includes input on Cyber Security.

Education: Cybersecurity

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's annual report and accounts for 2022/23, published in July 2023, what steps she is taking to mitigate risk 6 on cyber security.

Nick Gibb: Cyber security is a strategic priority for the Department. Building on the improvements made in 2022/23, the Department has prioritised and funded several strategic security initiatives. Work currently underway includes making improvements to security governance and assurance processes, as well as the implementation of the new GovAssure government cyber security assessment scheme.The Department is developing further enhancements to its Incident Detection, Incident Response, and Incident Management capabilities, and is also addressing cyber security risks caused by legacy technology across the Department. In addition, there are continued efforts to develop the skills and talent needed to address the cyber security skills gap in conjunction with the Government Security Profession.The Department continues to work closely with the National Cyber Security Centre and the Government Security Group to ensure that it has a cross government, consistent approach. Such collaboration is increasingly important as we work to implement the National Cyber Security Strategy.

Higher Education: Entry Clearances

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of increases in visa costs for international students and researchers on the higher education sector.

Robert Halfon: The department has been successful in delivering the International Education Strategy ambition of hosting at least 600,000 students per year by 2030 for the last two years, and the government fully expects the UK to continue to be an attractive destination for international students.We are increasing fees across a range of immigration routes, including for people coming here to live, work and study, at a time of record high migration numbers. It is the government’s policy that those who use and benefit most from the immigration system should contribute towards the cost of operating the system, reducing the burden on the UK taxpayer.Our visa fees are competitive globally and there is little evidence that fee increases to date have significantly affected demand on work, study and tourism routes.

T-levels

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils taking T-Levels received each grade in each academic year since the introduction of those exams.

Robert Halfon: The number and proportion of students in receipt of T Level results and grades for 2021/22 (revised data) and 2022/23 (provisional data) are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cc5ab632-b444-4218-cdff-08db9969b0eb.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Contracts

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department provides guidance to (a) football clubs and (b) other sporting organisations on the inclusion of non-disparagement clauses preventing people under contract from criticising owners or other specified entities; and if she will make a statement.

Stuart Andrew: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport offers no guidance on commercial contracts between employees and employers in sport.

Platinum Jubilee 2022: Medals

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal is available to people who had served a combined total of five years in the Armed Forces and frontline NHS services on 6 February 2022.

Stuart Andrew: To qualify for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal recipients must be in an eligible role in the public sector on 6 February 2022 and have completed five years’ service.There are some circumstances where prior service in a previous eligible role might be taken into account and aggregated with current service by a Department in deciding on medal eligibility.Individual Departments, the Devolved Administrations and Crown Dependencies are responsible for applying the eligibility criteria and making eligibility decisions regarding the award of the Medal to their staff and other organisations that fall under their sponsorship.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Space Technology: Young People

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress the Government has made on ensuring that young people have the skills for entry into the space industry.

George Freeman: Ensuring that people of all ages can enter the UK space sector is a whole-of-government effort. This is recognized in the UK Science and Technology Framework (March 2023), which commits to expanding participation in all STEM careers. The UK Space Agency has a strong history of ensuring children are inspired and learning about space throughout their education and as they move into potential space careers. This has included educational projects following Tim Peake’s Principia mission, which reached over 1.6 million young people nationwide (Impact Assessment: Principia Campaign, 2018).The Agency’s Space Placements in Industry (SPIN) Programme supports university students to undertake a space-related summer internship, with over 400 participants to date. The Programme will receive a three-fold increase in funding in 2024. In July, the Department for Education launched the new Level 6 Space Systems programme, which will enable apprentices to receive quality training in the industry while earning a salary.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Remote Working

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what their Departments policy is on Civil Servants in their Department working from home and receiving the London Weighting Allowance.

Mr Steve Baker: Departments set their own London pay arrangements, which vary under delegated authority. Flexible working is also a fundamental element of the Civil Service employment offer which is consistent with other sectors. This flexibility includes hybrid working with attendance in the office for part of the week and part at home, which leaves the contract and London pay arrangements unchanged.The Northern Ireland Office has agreed hybrid working arrangements which typically require staff to spend two to three days in the office each week, and the option of two to three days working from home. The majority of Northern Ireland Office will be working on a hybrid basis, or be entirely based in the workplace.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Hong Kong: Arrest Warrants

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department was given advance notice of the Hong Kong National Security Police issuing arrest warrants for Hong Kong pro-democracy activists based in the UK.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK did not receive advance notice.The Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement on 3 July that we will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals. The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted.

Bahrain: Trials

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the trial of 65 people in Bahrain; and whether the Embassy in Manama is monitoring the trial.

David Rutley: The FCDO is aware of reporting about the court proceedings mentioned and will continue to follow the situation. We have previously been assured in other cases (where individuals linked to one charge are tried together) that an individual's right to separate legal representation of their choice is guaranteed by law.

Bahrain: Gulf Strategy Fund

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has allocated to Bahrain projects under the Gulf Strategy Fund for the financial year 2023-24.

David Rutley: The FCDO remains committed to supporting reform in Bahrain, including through projects delivered via the Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF). The initial country allocation for Bahrain from the GSF for 2023/24 is £1,525,000. Information about the projects that the British Embassy in Bahrain uses to deliver this will be published as usual on gov.uk towards the end of the financial year.

Bahrain: Human Rights

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Human Rights and Democracy: The 2022 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Report, published in July 2023, CP 886, what the criteria were for the decision to remove Bahrain from the list of Human Rights Priority Countries.

David Rutley: The decision to remove Bahrain from the Human Rights Priority Country list reflects consistent and systemic progress in a range of human rights areas over a number of years, some of which have been directly supported by the UK. The UK remains committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain and to encouraging the government to meet its human rights commitments.

Department for Business and Trade

Carers: Leave

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make it her policy to introduce paid leave for kinship carers.

Kevin Hollinrake: Kinship carers can already benefit from many workplace entitlements designed to help parents and carers combine work with childcare. These include unpaid parental leave, emergency time off for dependents and the right to request flexible working. In our government response to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, we committed to explore the introduction of additional workplace entitlements for kinship carers. Since then, work has been underway across government to better understand how government can support kinship carers to balance work and childcare. The Department for Education is committed to publishing a national kinship strategy by the end of 2023.